Managers show signs of disengagement 12 weeks prior to leaving, says expert

The knock-on effect of quiet quitting among managers can have serious repercussions for employees and the organisation.

Quiet quitting, wherein employees take a step back from their work, doing only the bare minimum, has been extensively covered in the media, but rarely about managers, who can show signs of disengagement as early as 12 weeks before announcing their departure. 

For Prodoscore CEO Sam Naficy, unnoticed quiet quitting can be disastrous at any stage, but is far “more problematic” at the managerial level. There is a “domino effect”, he notes, that can mean employees underneath a disengaged manager feel unsupported, often “leading them to disengage” continuing a negative spiral. 

Managers may allow their duties to fall back on others, negatively affecting workflow, heightening resentments and damaging company culture. What begins as a personal issue for a single employee has the potential to spill over into an entire workforce. 

“The idea that an employee takes a step back and starts doing less than their normal workload is more common than we think unfortunately,” says Naficy, but there are a number of tell-tale signs that employers should be on the lookout for, before it gets to that point. 

Red flags

According to Naficy, when managers quietly quit, the effect on company morale is “one of the most detrimental” consequences. “As the effects of one disengaged manager trickle through the company, culture is impacted and morale decreases. The rise in turnover then becomes difficult to mitigate.”

Changes in work habits and communication can be a great indicator of the extent to which an employee is engaging with their place of work. For example, “an increase in gap time, or times during the workday where an employee is not using any business tools” can signify a degree of disengagement. As can a sudden and noticeable decrease in both social and professional correspondence, in-person and via chat tools. 

“Effective leaders maintain regular, open communication channels,” says Naficy, and changes in this behaviour can be a sign that managers are pulling away from their employers, co-workers and responsibilities. 

Issues with deadlines or an inability to start the workday at the correct time are additional indicators that a manager may have de-prioritised aspects of their work and often these warning signs of waning commitment are evident 12 weeks before they leave a company. 

Widespread concerns

Managerial quiet quitting not only greatly affects companies, but can have negative repercussions for local economies in the long run. 

Naficy notes that, from a broader perspective, “disengagement impacts the economy in productivity loss”, often leaving workers feeling less motivated, less committed and less enthusiastic about their roles. He adds, this overall feeling of dissatisfaction is frequently carried over into the person’s next job.

The longer a disengaged member of staff is onboard “the more harm there is to the company and culture”, but by acknowledging that there is a problem to be rooted out and solved and investing more time and resources in employee engagement, companies “can mitigate those negative reverberations across the organisation”, he says. 

Motivation is a key factor within any organisation and, for Naficy, plays a significant role in the long-term success of a company. By investing in individuals as well as teams, employers can foster an environment in which managerial staff equate personal growth with that of the business, ensuring everyone is on the same trajectory. 

To do this employers need to “start early”, building up a positive, equally beneficial and morale-based working culture, that recognises the human element of doing business. 

Ironically, this can often mean having to accept that, despite efforts to integrate and mediate, an employee may not be the best fit for a managerial position within your particular company.

In instances where early indicators have proven that there is a disengagement issue and a manager has begun to pull back from their responsibilities, Naficy finds this is an “opportunity to work with them to improve morale and keep them on board or sever ties sooner if the departure is inevitable”. 

“We need to let employees work however they work best and with that, disengagement should improve.” Naficy advises. “A work culture focused on employee wellbeing is one that’s more likely to succeed and it’s our job as leaders to keep our team members engaged, challenged and excited about the future.

By focusing on the people in the organisation, “disengagement and the quiet quitting phenomenon lessen”, he thinks.

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